Why Do 10+ Strange Grey Airliners Land & Take Off Daily in Pasco?

Has anyone else noticed all the strange grey-colored aircraft landing and taking off from the Pasco airport lately?

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Multiple Grey Passenger Planes Observed at the Pasco Airport

No, it is not deja vue! If you live anywhere around the Pasco Airport or just happen to watch airliners, you may have noticed lots of strange grey aircraft flying overhead. Many times a day these strange grey-colored aircraft can be seen flying into and out of the Pasco Airport at all times of the day. You may witness 10-20 different flights, sometimes just minutes apart from each other like there is an urgent emergency. Well, rest your worrying head because the actual reason is much less alarming.

What Are Those Grey Passenger Planes?

If you look closely, you can see that these planes are labeled US Navy. They are old prop planes that have been converted with noisy jet engines to be used for training purposes. When you see them, they are likely practicing touch-and-go training. The Pasco Airport actually has lots of regular military aircraft traffic and the reason has to do with the history of the site.

The US Military and the Pasco Airport: Old History

The area that is now the Pasco Airport was originally built in the 1940s as a training field for pilots and was controlled by the US Military. The US Navy eventually closed the airfield in 1946 and transferred the ownership to the City of Pasco. The facility was converted into a regional airport but stipulations in the transfer meant that the US Navy could keep using the airport for pilot training purposes. Throughout the year multiple pilots fly over from Whidbey Island in a few planes and then practice touch-and-go landings. It is not 10-20 different planes you see, but only 2 or 3 planes with different pilots practicing each time. Sometimes you will also see pilots in firefighting training, but those planes look much different than the grey US Navy planes seen recently.